What the h*** is going on!! Ive been on Bicillin for 2 weeks now-going on a two week horrendous flare up and now my right arm (last couple days) is going weak and giving out on me!!! Scared??? OMG yes I am at this point!!! What is happening??? The only thing I have really changed is I added Magnesium (natural calm). Could that be causing it??? Oh God, I cant handle this.
Nancy
Posted by MizMo (Member # 8389) on :
It may be due to the herxing, which you said is really bad.
Contact your lyme doc asap if you haven't already. I haven't experianced this symptom at this time but I did meet someone at my doc's office who has. She recovered from it eventually after extensive treatment.
Praying for you!! ~Mo
Posted by elle (Member # 7721) on :
Hi Nancy - I had this happen. Same arm. Not sure why. I lost the feeling from the shoulder to my fingertips. The fingertips to the elbow came back (kind of crampy) after about a week. The above the elbow came back after another week. I continue to have problems with my shoulder which have lessened alittle each week.
I wish you weren't going through this. I know that it is a scary situation. Call your LLMD to let them know of your situation and for any special instructions.
elle
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
quote:Originally posted by elle: Hi Nancy - I had this happen. Same arm. Not sure why. I lost the feeling from the shoulder to my fingertips. The fingertips to the elbow came back (kind of crampy) after about a week. The above the elbow came back after another week. I continue to have problems with my shoulder which have lessened alittle each week.
I wish you weren't going through this. I know that it is a scary situation. Call your LLMD to let them know of your situation and for any special instructions.
elle
He knows all about it. He says to stay the course. Is this part of herxing??
Nancy
Posted by vitch (Member # 8094) on :
Losing the use of my right arm comes and goes for me. The loss lasts a month or two and it comes back.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
I gave in tonight. I decided to start using the Lyrica. I feel so incredibly hopeless. I cant believe I am feeling worse instead of just a smidge better.
Nancy
Posted by Monica (Member # 224) on :
Depending on how long you've been sick and how good a foothold the spirochetes have, you may be herxing for a while.
It is scary, I know. Stay the course! Eventually this will pass. Of course, the spirochetes will find other places to torment you before they're finally gone, but one step at a time...
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
Thanks Monica. I took the Lyrica last night. Im a little groggy this morning and my vision is a bit blurred (its a common side effect when starting this drug). I so hope the muscle tiredness is just a herx. My left arm is acting up now too!!
Nancy
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
Nal, what you are describing sounds very serious, so please remember most of us are not doctors.
That said, I've had the experience of complete physical paralysis while herxing on two drugs, minocycline and rocephin. I've never taken bicillin, and don't know if what you are going through is a side effect or a herx symptom.
With the minocycline, I could barely walk for a week, and had moments when I was lying in bed unable to move, with my mouth hanging open and my arm draped over the side of the bed like a soap opera character. That lasted two weeks.
Please try to get some kind of anti-inflammatory, like bromelain or Celebrex.
Also, please remember that bicillin is not the only game in town. There are plenty of torturous antibiotics you can take that allow you to decrease the dosage, and still get the herx experience. What else have you tried?
By the way, I can't take minocycline anymore. It had some dangerous side effects that I tried to pretend were part of the herx, but they weren't. So don't assume all the bad symptoms are normal.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
Ive tried everything=theres nothing left except IV meds and my insurance wont cover it-period. I have been told the IM bicillin can cause the worst herxes out there. Ive been sick for over 5 years so this is definately Chronic Lyme..
My LLMD is monitoring me and knows about the arm weakness. I can only assume at this point that it is part of a herx. I know we are not dr's on here but I did think that a lot of other people have experienced muscle weakness during a herx.
Nancy
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
Nancy, My primary reaction to the abxs was an increase in the muscle weakness I already had on my right leg and arm. My right hand barely functions at times...this is NOT something I had before the abxs. At first I had severe pain in my forearms (almost like carpal tunnel) and tons of muscle twitching and jerking. I still have muscle weakness. I don't know if mine is herxing or not. I just had a muscle EMG and nerve conductivity study that came back okay so the search continues for a cause. I have upped my B12 to see if it make s difference. What supplements are you on? Are you anemic?
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
quote:Originally posted by vachick: Nancy, My primary reaction to the abxs was an increase in the muscle weakness I already had on my right leg and arm. My right hand barely functions at times...this is NOT something I had before the abxs. At first I had severe pain in my forearms (almost like carpal tunnel) and tons of muscle twitching and jerking. I still have muscle weakness. I don't know if mine is herxing or not. I just had a muscle EMG and nerve conductivity study that came back okay so the search continues for a cause. I have upped my B12 to see if it make s difference. What supplements are you on? Are you anemic?
I am taking b-12, mag, folic acid, calcium, multi vit for now. Are you still on antibiotics?? Im still pretty scared.
Nancy
Posted by mikken (Member # 2276) on :
Nancy,
Just a thought, but my niece gets arm weakness when her yeast is flaring. Are you on yeast fighters?
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
Nancy, I am still on abx...only been on them for about 22 days or so.
Mikken, what are yeast fighters? Like probiotics or something else?
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
quote:Originally posted by mikken: Nancy,
Just a thought, but my niece gets arm weakness when her yeast is flaring. Are you on yeast fighters?
But see, how do you know its yeast?? I never get vaginal symptoms or bowel symptoms at all-everything is normal. I do take probiotics and diflucan. Yes, I try to watch what I eat but I am not perfect in any way. Thats what drives me crazy: is it a herx, reaction to meds, yeast or what? AAAHHH. Oh well, all I can do is do the best I can with what I have.
Nancy
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi all- Vachick-Nancy
Having arms hands ect. tingle is a very common symptom -
Having arms hands fall asleep completly is fairly common-
Dose seem to get better and become a Past symptom--
A few people do get partial body or complete body effect- Very scarry-- From what I have read seems to be short length symptom-
I have been sick very long time and had the full list of effects---
I had the full body effect 3 times--lasted about 1 hour each time-occured in 1 month time period- -Has not happened again 1 year-
Dont know what brought it on in me-- -----------------------
I changed meds 3 months ago- Started treatment for Babs too-
Tingles-arm hand sleepies Much Better--almost gone for long periods- Jay-
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
Thanks. Nancy and I seem to have the same fears (having ALS or some other bad problem vs Lyme). I have had one-sided weakness in my right arm and leg for over two years. Recently those symptoms got much WORSE. I can't tell if it is the abx or something like ALS progressing on its course. I can tell you that I could exercise six weeks ago and I can barely do it now.
My right hand is so weak that I see that my thumb does not use the tip to pick things up...it uses the knuckle. I think I have foot drop...The only reason why my right foot doesn't trip me is because I have to think while walking to pick it up to avoid tripping. Otherwise I am sure I would have fallen many times over.
These are scary things and Nancy and I (Nancy I don't want to speak for you here) are trying to figure out whether these things are part of Lyme and abx treatment or part of something even more insidious.
Posted by mikken (Member # 2276) on :
Nancy,
She doesn't have vaginal or anything else, either. We know it's yeast because it stops when she watches her diet better and remembers to take her yeast treatments (Capryl, Primal Defense, Primadophilus are what she uses right now).
For your case - I hear your frustration and I sympathize! Hope you figure it out soon. - Oh, something that may help your communication with your doctor is to keep track of what you can and cannot do with that arm on a day to day basis. Like, what's the maximum amount of weight you can lift with it today? Are you having trouble grasping a cup? Can you hold a pencil and write with it? Things like that - write them down on a daily basis and report to your LLMD if things get any worse. Then ask him what exactly his thoughts are on this symptom.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
Thanks guys. I have had this before but not near as bad. I had a bad attack in April and my right arm started doing this. Wasnt on any treatment then. This has to be related and I am just praying its part of a herx. Sounds like some of you have had similar things though during herxes?? How scared were you?
Nancy
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
I've had loss of my right arm for 18 months since I FIRST began my 2 lyme abx: biaxin & doxy on pulsed. It's 24/7 pain plus it's the arm I sleep on....uffda.
I'm going to call PCP this week to see if I can get physical therapy on the arm, neck, & left sciatic leg.
20 yrs. ago I lost the use of my right arm & they used TENS ultrasound to bring it back.
Otherwise, I use my FROZEN ICE PACKS all day/night long to deaded the areas.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
If the loss of the use of my arms and legs is going to be a herx then I quit. I will find other therapies to use. I WILL NOT lose my arms and legs!! I never had this much trouble before!!!!!! Where is God and why isn't he just taking me away???????????????????????????????
Nancy
Posted by snowboarder (Member # 6346) on :
Nancy,
If I were you, I'd back off meds until this thing stops...herxs can be awful I know. Dr. C says to always back off if your herxing and not to keep taking abx.
Your LLMD's treat very aggressively in my opinion and your bodies trying to tell you something. I'm 80% better then I was a year ago and when I had bad herxing I would immediately back off abx.
Ask Dr. B about this and see what he says. Hope your feeling better soon.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
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